What is ingress in the context of cable systems?

Ingress refers to the phenomenon where external signals or interference enter a cable system, potentially disrupting the quality and integrity of the transmitted signals. This can occur due to various factors such as improper shielding, loose connections, or physical breaks in the cable that allow outside signals to "leak" into the system.

In a cable system, ingress is problematic because it can degrade the performance of the service provided to customers, leading to issues like distortion, noise, or other signal-related problems. Understanding ingress is crucial for technicians, as mitigating this issue is essential for ensuring a high-quality signal flow and customer satisfaction.

The other options describe different aspects of signal interference or issues within a cable system. For instance, signals escaping from the system refers to egress, while interference from neighboring signals or external noise addresses different types of disturbances that can exist in cable networks, but do not relate to the concept of ingress itself.